About cellulitis....?

If a diabetic has cellulitis and it is not treated with antibiotics, what will happen to that person if he is not treated? My uncle has this and he's been a diabetic since 1995. His feet and legs are beat red as if he was either severely sunburned or in contact with scalding hot water and very swollen. He has fevers ranging from 99.9 to 103 (low grade)and he has the chills. He complains that his skin hurts and is very tender to the touch. He refuses to go to the doctor about this problem. Could his condition eventually kill him if not treated? He is 77 yrs old and is heavy set and smokes cigarrettes and isn't very active due to other health problems. Serious answers only please...thank you.

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin, and is treated with antibiotics; sometimes there is a secondary infection with a fungus.
Any untreated bacterial infection can lead to sepsis (blood poisoning) and death, particularly in a diabetic. Tell him that unless he has a death wish, he'd better get himself to the doctor (or ER) ASAP!

Cellulitis, especially for diabetics is a very serious condition. I have seen many occurrences where it has led to requiring an amputation. If left untreated it can cause sepsis which is an infection of the blood. Your uncle, because of his diabetes, already has a decreased healing capacity and by not getting this problem treated is only making it worse. If he does not want to get it treated that is his own personal decision and he must live with the consequences. Give him the information and let him decided what to do with it. Unfortunately he is human and has free will...you can't force him to do anything. Just give him the information.

Your uncle should seek medical attention right away. Cellulitis is a serious bacterial infection and requires antibiotics. Complicating matters is the diabetes; people with diabetes often have difficulty in healing infections. Also, infections can indicate a rise in blood sugar levels, and elevated blood sugar levels can make infections worse so you get a double whammy cyclical effect thing here. Any bacterial infection that is untreated has the possibility of becoming systemic, a very serious complication. You could engage other family members to help you convince your uncle to see a doctor as soon as possible.